1
|
Mata-González R, Averett JP, Abdallah MAB, Martin DW. Variations in Groundwater Level and Microtopography Influence Desert Plant Communities in Shallow Aquifer Areas. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 69:45-60. [PMID: 34436626 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-021-01526-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
An improved understanding of the relationships among vegetation, groundwater level, and microtopography is crucial for making well-informed management decisions in areas with shallow groundwater resources. We measured plant species abundance/composition and richness in relation to depth to groundwater (DTW) and microtopography in Owens Valley, California, particularly in areas where DTW ranged from 0 to 4 m. Sampling occurred along 67 vegetation transects across three community types. Relationships between DTW and community composition were evaluated using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS), while non-parametric multiplicative regression was used to relate DTW and microtopography to species abundance. The dominant gradient in species composition (NMS Axis 1) explained ~51% of variation in our distance matrix and was most strongly associated (r = 0.55) with DTW. The graminoids Juncus arcticus, Leymus triticoides, and Distichlis spicata had strong affinities toward areas with the shallowest DTW (<1.5 m). One salt-adapted species Sporobolus airoides and one shrub Ericameria nauseosa dominated areas with intermediate DTW (1.5-2.0 m), whereas the shrubs Atriplex torreyi, Sarcobatus vermiculatus, and Artemisia tridentata were dominant in areas with deeper DTW (>2.0 m). Variation in microtopography affected species abundance and increased species richness for vegetation communities at either extreme of the water table gradient, shallow, and deep DTW but not the intermediate DTW. Findings indicate that desert plant communities from shallow aquifers have adapted to different DTW and microtopography conditions and that considering those adaptations may be important to manage groundwater and vegetation resources in these areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Mata-González
- Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Joshua P Averett
- Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, Oregon State University, Union, OR, 97883, USA
| | - Mohamed A B Abdallah
- Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
| | - David W Martin
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Bishop, CA, 93514, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Epstein G, Hawkins SJ, Smale DA. Identifying niche and fitness dissimilarities in invaded marine macroalgal canopies within the context of contemporary coexistence theory. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8816. [PMID: 31217462 PMCID: PMC6584561 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45388-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Contemporary coexistence theory provides a framework for predicting invasiveness and impact of Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) by incorporating differences in niche and fitness between INNS and co-occurring native species. The widespread invasive kelp Undaria pinnatifida is considered a high-risk INNS, although a robust evidence base regarding its invasiveness and impact is lacking in many regions. Invaded macroalgal canopies at nine coastal sites in the southwest UK were studied over three years to discern whether Undaria is coexisting or competing with native canopy-forming species across different habitat types. Spatial, temporal and depth-related trends in species distributions and abundance were recorded within intertidal and subtidal rocky reef as well as on marina pontoons. A primary succession experiment also examined competitive interactions between species. In rocky reef habitats, Undaria had lower fitness compared to long-lived native perennials, but was able to coexist due to niche dissimilarity between species. In contrast, Undaria was likely to be competing with short-lived native annuals on rocky reef due to large niche overlap and similar fitness. In marina habitats, Undaria dominated over all other canopy formers due to low niche diversification and higher fitness. Generalisations on INNS impact cannot be made across habitats or species, without considering many abiotic factors and biotic interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Graham Epstein
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK.
- Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK.
| | - Stephen J Hawkins
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
- Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Dan A Smale
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, PL1 2PB, UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Anton A, Geraldi NR, Lovelock CE, Apostolaki ET, Bennett S, Cebrian J, Krause-Jensen D, Marbà N, Martinetto P, Pandolfi JM, Santana-Garcon J, Duarte CM. Global ecological impacts of marine exotic species. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:787-800. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0851-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
|
4
|
Nelson W, Sullivan G. Effects of microtopographic variation and macroalgal cover on morphometrics and survival of the annual form of eelgrass ( Zostera marina). AQUATIC BOTANY 2018; 145:37-44. [PMID: 29290642 PMCID: PMC5746198 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquabot.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A disjunct population of the annual form of the seagrass Zostera marina that occurred in the upper intertidal zone of Yaquina Bay, Oregon was sampled to determine whether there were differences in recruitment, growth, survivorship and morphology associated with microtopographic location on the sand flat. Population responses of seagrass found in areas differing by only a few cm in vertical elevation were compared. There was higher plant abundance and higher number of shoots per plant in microtopographic low areas. Plants in lower areas also had significantly longer shoots, greater total above ground biomass, greater biomass per shoot, and greater biomass of reproductive spathes than plants growing in immediately adjacent, microtopographic high areas. Cover of green macroalgae was higher and accumulated more rapidly in microtopographic high areas as compared to low areas, and both spatially and temporally was correlated with decreased recruitment and increased plant loss in these slightly elevated areas. While impacts of desiccation may have played some role in determining the influence of microtopographic variation on the annual Z. marina population, macroalgal effects appear to be predominant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W.G. Nelson
- Corresponding Author: Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch, U.S. EPA,
2111 S.E. Marine Science Dr., Newport OR 97366,
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kollars NM, Henry AK, Whalen MA, Boyer KE, Cusson M, Eklöf JS, Hereu CM, Jorgensen P, Kiriakopolos SL, Reynolds PL, Tomas F, Turner MS, Ruesink JL. Meta-Analysis of Reciprocal Linkages between Temperate Seagrasses and Waterfowl with Implications for Conservation. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:2119. [PMID: 29312384 PMCID: PMC5744074 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.02119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Multi-trophic conservation and management strategies may be necessary if reciprocal linkages between primary producers and their consumers are strong. While herbivory on aquatic plants is well-studied, direct top-down control of seagrass populations has received comparatively little attention, particularly in temperate regions. Herein, we used qualitative and meta-analytic approaches to assess the scope and consequences of avian (primarily waterfowl) herbivory on temperate seagrasses of the genus Zostera. Meta-analyses revealed widespread evidence of spatio-temporal correlations between Zostera and waterfowl abundances as well as strong top-down effects of grazing on Zostera. We also documented the identity and diversity of avian species reported to consume Zostera and qualitatively assessed their potential to exert top-down control. Our results demonstrate that Zostera and their avian herbivores are ecologically linked and we suggest that bird herbivory may influence the spatial structure, composition, and functioning of the seagrass ecosystem. Therefore, the consequences of avian herbivory should be considered in the management of seagrass populations. Of particular concern are instances of seagrass overgrazing by waterfowl which result in long-term reductions in seagrass biomass or coverage, with subsequent impacts on local populations of waterfowl and other seagrass-affiliated species. While our results showed that bird density and type may affect the magnitude of the top-down effects of avian herbivory, empirical research on the strength, context-dependency, and indirect effects of waterfowl-Zostera interactions remains limited. For example, increased efforts that explicitly measure the effects of different functional groups of birds on seagrass abundance and/or document how climate change-driven shifts in waterfowl migratory patterns impact seagrass phenology and population structure will advance research programs for both ecologists and managers concerned with the joint conservation of both seagrasses and their avian herbivores.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M. Kollars
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Amy K. Henry
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Matthew A. Whalen
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Hakai Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Katharyn E. Boyer
- Romberg Tiburon Center and Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, Tiburon, CA, United States
| | - Mathieu Cusson
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales & Québec-Océan, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QC, Canada
| | - Johan S. Eklöf
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Clara M. Hereu
- Facultad de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Ensenada, Mexico
| | | | - Stephanie L. Kiriakopolos
- Romberg Tiburon Center and Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, Tiburon, CA, United States
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Pamela L. Reynolds
- Data Science Initiative, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Fiona Tomas
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
- Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados, Universitat de les Illes Balears – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Esporles, Spain
| | - Mo S. Turner
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|